The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-12
The INDEPENDENTS" Tribute.


NEW YORK, March 11.-For the first time in
fifteen years the New York Independent. Of
which Mr.. Henry c. Bowen is the editor and
proprietor, makes editorial reference to Mr.
Beecher. In an editorial Mr. Bowen says: Mr..
Beecher was the active editor Of the Independ
emit for two years; but for many years we pub
lished every week one of his famous Star
Papers, or one of his sermons. In no other
man did we take. in the days of his we'll earned
fame, such just and honest pride. But there
came tirle when the Independent turned from
Mr.. Beecher, and his name has scarcely been
mentioned by Us for fifteen years. The cause is
known to all men; we will not repeat it, He
continues
''In the death of Henry Ward Beecher, the
American pulpit looses one of the greatest men
that ever stood in it, and perhaps the greatest
genius that America has yet produced.
It is difficult to tell in what his power
did, or rather did not consist. 1t was
in his whole nature. He was in every
direction genius. In the first place. he was
man Of infinite common sense He looked
all round things and then he went to the
center OF them. He said the plain, simple thing
that everybody could understand. He was not
deceived by the cant and conventionalties that
surround thought, an idea, duty relig-
ious service, but he put his touch on the very
core OF things. He did not ask other men what
was truth. but he looked for himself and what
sometimes strange. Thus ne had originality.
He borrowed no judgments opinions. He
did not mind If he contradicteG the world. He
had that superb confidence that he knew that his
judgment might be worth more than the judg-
ment of a million men. Because his head was
higher than some other mems, his vision appar-
emily was further and truer than that of all the
rest So he spoke with authority that COM
manded assent Not that every conclusion was
true-that is not given to man; but his conclu-
sions carried almost more than mortal weight.
Then there was his mighty enthusiasm.
How heroic was his defense of America be-
fore the mad mobs of England in the darkest
hours of our civil war! Not another man living
did or could have done his service And he did
it all with such unconscious ease, with no appar-
ent effort Of logic, rhetoric or oratory.
What he said became evident when he
said it, with no compulsion of argument
and no illusion Of eloquence. With this was
Joined the most exquisite poetic nature that
was beautiful to him. Every trait III man was
familiar to him. All this store of insight was
part of the material of his thought. 1t was
natural to him to speak in pictures. He never
overlaid an argument with ornament. The or
nament was in the argument The two were
fused together The glory was in the gold The
spirit was in the wheels. His impress
is on the country, in religious thought, in
method of preaching, in all the social and polit-
cal progress we have made. The country can
never forget Henry Ward Beecher. 1t has not
yet recorded greater name,"
To reporter Mr.. Bowen said: whether
written By me or not /, as editor aud proprietor
of the paper, am willing to be fully responsible
for its publication. Mr. Beecher's death is not
only great shock to Brooklyn, but a calamity
to the whole country"